the.world.is.flat-第95章
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of having the energy and imagination to adopt these tools and put them to good use。
〃The key for us/' said Ghandour； 〃was to come up with the technology and immediately
replace the Airborne technology； because without online； real…time tracking and
tracing； you can't compete with the big boys。 With our own software engineers； we
produced a Web…based tracking and tracing and shipment management system。〃
Managing the back room for all the alliance partners through the Internet was actually
much more efficient than plugging everyone into Airbome's mainframe back in Seattle；
which was very centralized and had already been struggling to adapt to the new Web
architecture。 With the Web； said Ghandour； every employee in every alliance company
could access the Aramex tracking and tracing system through smart PC terminals or
handheld devices； using the Internet and wireless。 A couple of months after making
his proposal in London； Ghandour brought all the would…be partners together in Amman
to show them the proprietary system that Aramex was developing and to meet some of
his Jordanian software professionals and industrial engineers。 （Some of the
programming was being done in…house at Aramex and some was outsourced。 Outsourcing
meant Aramex too could tap the best brains。） The partners liked it； and thus the Global
Distribution Alliance was born…with Aramex providing the back room from the backwater
of Amman； where Lawrence ofArabia once prowled； replacing Airborne； which was located
just down the highway from Microsoft and Bill Gates。
Another reason Ghandour could replace Airborne so quickly； he explained； was that
he was not stuck with any 〃legacy〃 system that he had to adapt。 〃I could go right
to the Internet and use the latest technologies；〃 he said。 〃The Web enabled me to
act big and replicate a massive technology that the big guys had invested millions
in； at a fraction of the cost。 。 。 From a cost perspective； for me as a small guy；
it was ideal。。。 I knew the world was flat。 All my preaching to our employees as the
CEO was that we can compete； we can have a niche； the rules of the game are changing；
you don't need to be a giant； you can find a niche； and technology will enable us
to compete with the big boys。〃
349
When January 2004 rolled around and Airborne began switching off its system； Aramex
was up and running for a seamless handoff。 And because Aramex was able to run its
new system off an Internet platform； with software designed primarily by lower…cost
Jordanian programmers； installation of the new system took place virtually； without
Aramex having to send its engineers to train any of the alliance partners。 Eachpartner
company could build its own client base over the Internet through the Aramex system；
do its own tracking and tracing； and be part of the new virtual global air freight
network。
〃So now we are managing this global network； with forty alliance partners； and we
cover every geographic area in the world；〃 said Ghandour。 〃We saved so much money。 。 。
With our Web…based system all you needed was a browser and a password to get into
the Aramex network； and suddenly you're inside a global shipment management system。〃
Aramex trained many of the employees of the other alliance companies how to use its
system by using various online channels； including voice over the Internet； online
chatting； and other virtual training tools available on Aramex's intranet…making the
training incredibly cheap。
Like UPS； Aramex has quickly moved into insourcing。 Arab and foreign banks in the
Middle East have outsourced the delivery of their credit cards to Aramex； mobile phone
companies are using Aramex delivery men to collect bills on their behalf； with the
delivery men just scanning the customer's credit card and then issuing a receipt。
（Aramex may be high…tech； but it has not shrunk from using donkeys to cross military
roadblocks to deliver packages in the West Bank when Israeli…Palestinian clashes have
closed roads。）
〃We are a very flat organization；〃 Ghandour explained。 〃This is not traditional；
because Arabinstitutions in the private sector tend to look like the governments…very
hierarchal and patriarchal。 That is not how Aramex works。 There are no more than two
to three layers between me and anyone in the company。 Every single knowledge worker
in this organization has a computer with e…mail and Internet access。 Right here from
your computer I can access my intranet and see exactly what is happening in the
organization without my senior people having to report to me。〃
In sum； Fadi Ghandour took advantage of several new forms of
collaboration…supply…chaining； outsourcing； insourcing； and all the steroids… to
make his little 200…million…a…year company very big。 Or； as he put it with a smile；
〃I was big locally and small internationally…and I reversed that。〃
Rule #3： And the big shall act small。。。 One way that big companies learn to flourish
in the flat world is by learning how to act really small by enabling their customers
to act really big。
Howard Schultz； the founder and chairman of Starbucks； says that Starbucks estimates
that it is possible to make nineteen thousand variations of coffee on the basis of
the menus posted at any Starbucks outlet。 What Starbucks did； in other words； was
make its customers its drink designers and allow them to customize their drinks to
their exact specifications。 Starbucks never thought of offering soy milk； Schultz
told me； until store managers started to get bombarded with demands for it from
customers； to the point where they were going to the grocery store across the street
in the middle of the day to buy cartons of soy milk。 Starbucks learned from its
customers； and today some 8 percent of all the drinks that Starbucks sells include
soy milk。 〃We didn't dream up the different concoctions with soy milk；〃 said Schultz；
〃the customers did。〃 Starbucks just collaborated with them。 The smartest big
companies clearly understand that the triple convergence allows them to collaborate
with their customers in a totally new fashion…and； by doing so； to act really small。
The way that big companies act small is not by targeting each individual consumer
and trying to serve that customer individually。 That would be impossible and
impossibly expensive。 They do it by making their business； as much as possible； into
a buffet。 These companies create a platform that allows individual customers to serve
themselves in their own way； at their own pace； in their own time； according to their
own tastes。 They are actually making their customers their employees and having them
pay the company for that pleasure at the same time！
One of those big companies that have learned to act small in this way is E*Trade；
the online bank and brokerage house。 It did so； explained
Mitchell H。 Caplan； the CEO of E*Trade as well as a friend and neighbor； by recognizing
that behind all the hoopla around the dot…com boom and bust； something very important
was happening。 〃Some people thought the Internet was going to revolutionize
everything in the world with no limits…it was going to cure the common cold/' said
Caplan。 Sure； it was hype； and it led to crazy valuations and expectations； which
eventually came crashing down。 But meanwhile； with much less fanfare； the Internet
was creating 〃a whole new distribution platform for companies to reach consumers in
a whole new way and for consumers to reach your company in a whole new way；〃 Caplan
said。 〃While we were sleeping； my mom figured out how to use e…mail and connect with
the kids。 My kids were instant…messaging all their friends。 My mom figured out how
to go online and check her E*Trade balances。〃
Companies that were paying attention understood they were witnessing the birth of
the 〃self…directed consumer；〃 because the Internet and all the other tools of the
flat world had created a means for every consumer to customize exactly the price；
experience； and service he or she wanted。 Big companies that could adapt their
technology and business processes to empower this self…directed consum
